compares God's favour to a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.

Mr. W.-We have had a shower this afternoon, and for several days past there has been thunder. But this is never the case in Palestine during the season of harvest. Although thunder and lightning are very common there, they come almost always in winter; so, when Samuel wished to show the Israelites that he was sent by the Lord to them, he prayed that there might be a thunder shower. This convinced them that he was God's prophet. It is in the 12th chapter of 1st Samuel-" Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain, that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great which ye have done in the sight of the Lord in asking you a king. So Samuel called unto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel."

Arthur.-This fact explains the first verse of the 26th chapter of Proverbs As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest; so honour is not seemly for a fool." Honour is as much out of place when conferred on a fool, as rain would be if sent in harvest.'

Delia.-Now I see how much good it does to know something about the climate of Judea. I never understood that so well before.

Mr. W.-I hope, my dear, this will make you more diligent in learning everything which you can find about the manners and customs of the Israelites. You will find enough for your use in the little book you have at home, on Biblical Antiquities. But I wish to ask you a question. Is it certain that we shall always have the sun mer and the harvest? How do you know that a year may not come with such seasons that nothing will ripen?

Frank.-Because the Lord promised Noah-" While the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease."

Mr. W.-People often forget that it is God who does all this. In Palestine the grain would never ripen if it were

not for the regular rains. The Lord reproved the ancient Israelites for not remembering that he gave them their rains and harvests. They ought to have feared God, because if he had not given them these things, they must have perished. He said that they were ungrateful—“neither say in their heart, let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season ; he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of harvest.”

Capt.-Well, I begin to think I have done wrong in the same way. I love the sight of a fine yellow field of wheat, waving in the sun; I would rather see it than a flowergarden; yet I believe I never thought much in all my travels of its being given by God.

Caroline. I have read in the Bible about offering a sheaf of the harvest to the Lord. Will you please to tell me more about it, papa ?

Mr. W.-The Passover was the time when they did this. On the second day of the passover week, the Israelites used to take the first sheaf of barley which they reaped, and waved it before the Lord. (Lev. xxiii. 10-14.) From this day they counted seven weeks, and at the end of this time Pentecost began. Pentecost signifies fiftieth. It was fifty days after the day of the wave-sheaf. At Pentecost they offered to God the first-fruits of the wheat-harvest. (Lev. xiii. 17.)

Arthur.-I suppose this was meant to keep them thankful. Our pastor always remembers to give public thanks to God when the harvest is taken in. We are all too apt to forget the bounty of God.

Mr. W.-True, my son. "Nevertheless, he hath not left himself without a witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." (Acts xiv. 17.)

Caroline.-You have mentioned the Passover and the day of Pentecost. Which of these is called the feast of harvest?

Mr. W.-The feast of weeks, or Pentecost, is often called the feast of harvest, because it was a season of thanksgiving for the blessings of the year. The first-fruits

of the wheat were then offered. They were not brought, however, in a sheaf, but were made into loaves. These were presented in the name of the whole congregation; and I suppose that every pious Israelite rejoiced and praised God in his heart, when he saw them carried up to the house of God. Just so we ought to feel when we look at yonder harvest field.

Capt.-A beautiful sight, indeed! Here are a great many fields ready for the sickle, besides those where your

men are at work. The breeze that comes over them makes the tops wave like the sea. I dare say, brother, you have some text to apply to them?

Frank.—I have one, uncle. I got a verse about it this morning.

Capt.-Well, my little man, let us have it.

Frank. In the Gospel according to Luke, tenth chapter and second verse: "Therefore said he unto them, the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."

Mr. W.—Now, my son, we must see whether you understand what you learn. Who spoke these words? Frank.-Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mr. W.-When did he say them?

Frank. When he sent the seventy disciples into the places where he intended to go himself afterwards.

Mr. W.-Very well. But what did our Saviour mean? Frank. He meant that there were a great many to be taught, and very few to teach them.

Mr. W.- Right. But what do you think? Is it so now? Frank.-Yes, papa, I think it is. There are not half enough preachers of the Gospel; and we cannot get teachers enough for one Sabbath-school at Chestnut Valley.

Mr. W.-What ought we all to do, then?

Frank. We ought to go ourselves, and do as much as we can, just as the seventy disciples did; and while we are working hard, we ought to pray for more to help us.

(To be continued.)

THE DYING CHILD TO HER MOTHER.

DEAR mother, sit beside my bed;

Gently my pillow raise;

The curtain draw aside, that I
May on your features gaze,

While yet I objects dear can view,
My mother, let me look on you.

Mother, I do not fear to die;
I trust in Jesu's blood,

I know in whom I have believed,
An ever faithful God.

Who will those little ones receive,
That in his promises believe.

O haste to little Catharine

When I am dead, and say

Emma's last words to her, were these

"Seek God without delay."

A dying bed is not the place

To learn to seek the God of grace.

Tell her to read that pretty hymn
You know I dearly prize,
"When I can read my title clear
To mansions, in the skies.”

Tell her, I read my title clear,
And know my final Home is there.

Go to my teacher, mother dear,
My Holy Bible take,

And ask her to receive that book,

And keep it for my sake.

She taught me how to find the road,

That leads a little child to God.

And now, dear mother, cease to weep,
And, brothers, cease to sigh,
I love my Saviour, and he says
"Fear not, for I am nigh."
And truly he was with her then,
She smiled, but never spoke again.

THE CATHEDRAL OF BEZIERES.

BEZIERES, is a town in the south of France, and was formerly under the government of the Counts of Toulouse. It is a place of great antiquity, and was founded by the ancient Romans. It stands in a fine country, and in a commanding situation; on a hill that commands a view of a rich valley, where the dark foliage of the olive is united with leaves of the mulberry trees; where gardens, orchards, vineyards, and country houses extend on both sides of the river Orbe, which wends its course into the Mediterranean Sea. At the summit of the town stands the stately Cathedral, which is joined to the bishop's palace. The interior of the Cathedral is not remarkable for its beauty.

In the south of France the horrors of persecution, on account of religion, have been most awfully perpetrated by the rulers and members of the Papal Church. Many of the inhabitants of this part of France have, for many hundreds of years, refused to profess submission to the Pope, and have borne their testimony against the errors of